Maryland Football: Tyrek Cheeseboro and 5 Important Recruits to Randy Edsall

Living up to his reputation as a top-notch builder, leader and recruiter, new Maryland head football coach, Randy Edsall has been hot on the recruiting trail.

Considered a relentless worker, the Glen Rock Pennsylvania native was hired in January as the 34th head coach in Maryland history

Edsall, the former Connecticut head coach, guided the Huskies to a pair of Big East Conference titles (2007, 2010) and postseason appearances in each of his final four years, including the 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

What makes Edsall so special is how he built the Huskies program.

In just seven seasons, Edsall was responsible for U-Conn becoming the first program to go from Football Bowl Subdivision (formally Division 1-A) newcomer to BCS bowl participant in only seven years.

Since joining the Terps, Edsall and his staff have done a good job of trying to limit the decommits.

The biggest losses were, Ryan Malleck and Jimmy Smith. Malleck, who was a big Friedgen supporter, chose to play at VA Tech, and linebacker Jimmy Stewart from Florida, signed at Vanderbilt. Overall, disaster was averted for the new coach and his staff.

The limited amount of time obviously hurt Edsall, and the class was not highly touted nationally. Maryland ranked in the mid to low 40s depending on which web site or sports network you watch.

Ahead of only Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina State, Rivals.com and Scout.com both rated the Terps ninth out of 12 teams in the ACC.

However, the one thing most experts do agree on is that Edsall made the most of his limited time, and 2012 could be a big year as Edsall has vowed to lock down the Old Line State, keeping the locals in College Park.

The Terrapins added 10 offensive players, including five offensive linemen. On defense, Maryland netted nine, with five defensive backs, two linebackers and two defensive linemen. The Terps also added a scholarship punter whom I will profile in this slide show.

Maryland signed three—three star wide receiver recruits, including Tyrek Cheeseboro, who according to ESPN.com, "Is one of those wide receivers that does many things well and is extremely reliable and productive as both an outside and inside receiver.”

“He has adequate size and lean build. Displays good burst off the line and very good top end speed for the position"

Maryland lost standout Torrey Smith to the Baltimore Ravens during April's NFL draft, and ACC rookie of the year, Danny O'Brien will need one, if not all of the three, to step up to try to fill the void left by Smith.

After taking a semester to gain eligibility at the Fork Union Military Academy with another Maryland signee, Nathaniel Clarke, Cheeseboro impressed.

During an interview with Matt Bracken,  FUMA Coach, John Shuman said, “We think he’s an outside guy because he’s got that vertical threat. He can get off,”  “He did well catching the ball, and stretching the field".

“He was a very pleasant guy to work with, always excited about practice and always wanted to get better. We really, really think he’s a fine prospect.”

Cheeseboro and Torrey Smith are similar in the support they receive from family, church, coaches and teammates. Hopefully, their careers at Maryland will be similar as well.

Cheeseboro will not only be important to Edsall in being a part of the new coaches’ first recruiting class but to Maryland QB Danny O'Brien as well. Torrey Smith made O'Brien look great at times, and with his speed, Cheeseboro may be counted on to do the same eventually.

Here are five more recruits in the 2011 and 2012 class that will be important to Randy Edsall and the Maryland Terrapins' immediate future.

No. 5 Quinton Jefferson: The First One Is Always Special

The first signed commitment is always important, and Edsall's was defensive end Quinton Jefferson, from Woodland Hills High in Pennsylvania, 

In the past two seasons, Jefferson was part of a Woodland Hills program that finished 21-6 overall and played in consecutive WPIAL AAAA championship games at Heinz Field.

There is no doubt that Jefferson is a leftover prospect from Ralph Friedgen's final recruiting efforts. However, Edsall credited wide receivers coach Lee Hull for keeping the 3-star prospect interested in the Terps.

While Friedgen’s replacement was sought, Jefferson said assistant recruiting coordinator Ryan Steinberg, and wide receivers coach Lee Hull, called him every day. This, despite the fact both of their futures at Maryland were uncertain.

The No. 25 senior prospect in Pennsylvania according to Rivals.com, was a hot commodity. At 6'4", and 230 pounds with 4.6 speed, Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois and Iowa all offered.

Jefferson's high school coach, George Novak, told Matt Bracken of the Baltimore Sun, Michigan, Rutgers, and Syracuse were also involved, while Pittsburgh and West Virginia “were pushing hard.” 

Aside from playing defensive end where he recorded 16 sacks as a senior, Jefferson played tight end for Woodland Hills.

According to Bracken's article, Novak has coached six current NFL players and said he will always remember Jefferson “chasing quarterbacks down. He’s got a big upside to him, too. He’s got a lot of potential to get a lot bigger.”

Novak compared the punishing pass-rusher to former Woodland Hills and Miami Dolphins star, Jason Taylor.

“He has long arms, is very athletic. I’d say he’s a lot like Jason Taylor was, but he’s a lot bigger than Jason was. He just kind of reminds me of that type of kid.”

Whether people give Edsall any credit for this recruit does not matter to him. The fact is, Edsall is thrilled to have a player with Jefferson's potential.

Quinton Jefferson has the potential to excite the fans as former Terp and quarterback-eating machine, Shawne Merriman once did while he was at College Park.

No. 4 Nathaniel Clarke: Only 4-Star Recruit in 2011 Class

Nathaniel Clarke

The only 4-star recruit heading Edsall's first class is, 6'4", 310-pound offensive tackle, Nathaniel Clarke.

The Rivals.com No. 4 prep school prospect starred at Archbishop Carroll in Washington, D.C. before attending Fork Union Military Academy to work on his academics in order to gain eligibility.

According to Fork Union coach John Shuman, Clarke started slow upon arriving, as he lacked maturity and structure.

During a Baltimore Sun article back in December, Coach Shuman said," Once his mind caught up with his tools, you could see a great prospect,” “He was used to being a big man on campus up there at Archbishop Carroll. He was a little immature out of high school.

"Once he got into the structure here, that certainly helped him.” Shuman finished by saying, “It’s either stop playing around and get serious or sit on the bench. He got some maturity here, grew up a little bit. Once he got that out of the way, he was ready to go. He’s ready to rock and roll.” 

Current Archbishop Carroll football coach Rick Ouches, who has coached a lot of talent, including Ravens' O-lineman Jared Gaither and Jacksonville Jaguars' defensive end Derrick Harvey, liked his progress as a player while he was at Carroll.

“He is way better than Jared Gaither was at this point in development,” he said. “His confidence is getting higher by the day. He is going to be very successful because his upside is just tremendous.”

Although he will play offensive line at Maryland, Clarke was also a standout defensive tackle at Archbishop Carroll.

Clarke's favorite moment of his high school career came in a game on his 16th birthday. He forced two fumbles, recovered three more and had four sacks.

No. 3 Nathan Renfro: Yes, I Have Listed a Punter

Anytime the Terps can steal a recruit from ACC rival Florida State, the player is worth putting on a list.

Never mind it is a punter. Just know that Randy Edsall, via Lee Hull, has officially stolen his first recruit from Tallahassee as head coach of the Terrapins.

Replacing Travis Baltz, a two-time Ray Guy award nominee, and four-year starter, was a concern for the Terps. As a senior last season, Baltz handled both phases of the kicking game.

Replacing Baltz will be Nathan Renfro from Brentwood Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. 

The 6'2", 200-pound punter was actually headed to Florida State as a preferred walk-on. A status for the Terps. When the Terps failed to land Michael Branthover from nearby DeMatha High School, they offered Renfro the four-year ride.

Junior Nick Ferrara, who came to College Park highly touted in 2009, will do the place kicking and if Renfro finds a freshman funk he cannot get out of, could also handle punting duties as he did in his freshman year.

Chris Sailer, who was a two-time consensus All-American place kicker, punter at UCLA and runs a kicking academy, spent time working with Renfro at his academy

Sailer, who also worked with former Maryland kicker Obi Egekeze, offered this assessment of his progress during a Baltimore Sun on-line article back in May.

“Between the first time I saw him and the second, you could just tell he worked extremely hard on his skill set,” Sailer said. “He came in and punted really consistently."

During the same article, Sailer finished with a comment that Terp fans will be happy to hear by saying, "He could develop into an all-conference type of player, but with a true freshman, it takes time.”

The Terps seem to have found a guy that Edsall should be able to count on during his first four years at College Park.

No. 2 DE Roman Braglio : 2012 Commitment Is Part of Big Early Score for Edsall

Whether it was Gary Williams or Ralph Friedgen, the biggest knock on Maryland athletics in recent years has been that neither coach could land the bug time local recruit.

Randy Edsall vowed in his initial press conference, and during his town hall informational meetings, that he would begin the process of locking down the state. His goal is to make the Terps a perennial ACC contender, and he wants to do that by keeping local kids at home.

Edsall has already shown he is a man of his word in obtaining one of two verbal commitments from top local talent for the class of 2012.

The second commitment came from Roman Braglio of McDonogh High School in Owings Mills Maryland.

Listed as a 4-star recruit by Rivals.com, Braglio is well on his way to a perfect mixture of size and speed. Listed at 6'4" and 235 pounds, Braglio should be more than solid playing in Maryland's 4-3 scheme, which employs a rush end from either the strong or weak side.

As a junior for the Eagles of McDonogh, Braglio recorded 67 tackles and 10 sacks.

Braglio's other serious offer came from West Virginia according to Rivals, as he also had interest from several big name football programs including Penn State, Tennessee and Pittsburgh.

According to ESPN and scouts.com, "Braglio is a kid who plays the game well and with a good motor".

"He is a defensive end with good size if he is as listed. He does come across as a bit smaller than his listed measureables, but does look to have a frame that can support more.” (Scouts.com.)

This is a big score for Randy Edsall. Talk is cheap at College Park these days if you read the message boards.

Braglio and his dad were impressed with Coach Edsall and committed on a visit to a Terps practice.

Romans’ Dad, Scott Braglio told the Varsity Sports Network, “"We were getting ready go, and Roman wasn't sure, and we sort of stepped out to the side and he said, 'Dad, I think I want to commit. But I don't know what to say,' and I said, 'well turn around, walk back in there and shake the man's hand and tell him that you want to be a Terp. And that's what he did.

They took him into Coach Edsall's office, and they were very excited to have him commit. Everybody in the whole building that was still there came into Coach Edsall's office, congratulated him and welcomed him aboard. They were happy to have him."

The younger Braglio’s on the spot commitment was due to his being impressed with Coach Edsall.

Braglio said of Edsall during the same article, “Coach Edsall is awesome.”I really like the enthusiasm that Coach Edsall brings to the practice and to the team and just the way he controls everything right now. Coach Edsall's morals combining academics and teamwork are what I look for in a college”.

Many Terps fans were clamoring for former Texas Tech head coach, Mike Leach. Many amongst the Maryland faithful believed he, not Edsall, would be the guy to open the local area wide open to Terps football once again.

While true, Braglio represents just one samll piece of the local talent in the area, and even a blind turtle can find his way to water you say. Well, then I present the following slide, as proof positive that Edsall is serious about locking down the state of Maryland.

No. 1 Mike Madaras: Offensive Tackle Our Lady of Good Counsel, Finally

I am a firm believer that any good football team has a solid foundation up front, on both sides of the ball.

Thank goodness for Maryland fans, Randy Edsall's blue-collar work ethic and mentality apparently feel the same way.

One day prior to gaining a verbal commitment from local 4-star recruit and defensive end Roman Braglio, Edsall obtained a commitment from Rivals and ESPN.com 4-star offensive tackle, Mike Madaras.

Madaras, who will be a senior this fall at Good Counsel, is a tough run blocker who possesses the playing strength and mobility to dominate opponents, this according to ESPN.com.

ESPN continues with their major praise of Madaras by saying that, "He has the size and athleticism for the offensive tackle position at the major level of competition; it appears his frame is capable of handling additional body mass. Displays good flexibility, balance, and agility playing.”

The 6' 5" and 286 pound Olney Maryland product had offers from Georgia Tech, Michigan, Mississippi State, Pitt, South Carolina, Stanford, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

While the NFL is a long way off for a kid like Madaras, it is no secret that schools like Wisconsin and Michigan are pretty good producers of Sunday players when it comes to the offensive line.

Knowing Madaras's ceiling is unlimited, both the Badgers and Wolverines wanted him badly. This is a great sign for Terps fans on two levels.

First, Good Counsel, which is about a 45-minute drive to College Park, has not been exactly funneling talent the Terps way in recent seasons.

The last Good Counsel player to attend Maryland was running back, Caleb Porzel, three years ago. Although Porzel did not exactly pan out, it is nice that the pipeline to GC is again open, and with a signing like Madaras, wide open.

Secondly, in the past, when you looked at the schools that offered Madras, it was a foregone conclusion that the Terps would once again miss out a highly touted local product.

Maryland offensive line coach Tom Brattan, who has worked with the Terrapins football team for 10 years and is one of three holdovers from Friedgen's staff (Don Brown and Lee Hull) , is the coach credited with the Madaras commitment.

Landing Madaras and Braglio have proven that Edsall and his staff are commited to doing just as they said they would do. 

They have begun to round up all of the keys and are changing the locks on the doors both in and out of, the great state of Maryland. Lock it down Coach Edsall, Lock it down!